1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a V-type internal combustion engine, including an intake apparatus disposed between two spaced-apart banks of the engine, and to a vehicle incorporating the described engine. More particularly, the present invention relates to a V-type internal combustion engine including an intake apparatus including a throttle body having a throttle valve therein, which is operated (drivingly opened and closed) by a force-transmitting device arranged in a space formed between the banks, and specifically, arranged adjacent one of the banks. The invention also relates to a vehicle such as a motorcycle including the described engine.
2. Description of the Background Art
There is a known intake apparatus for a V-type internal combustion engine. The intake apparatus includes a throttle valve device having a throttle body provided with a throttle valve, which is drivingly opened and closed by a throttle actuator equipped with an actuator (e.g., an electric motor). An example of such known intake apparatus for a V-type internal combustion engine is disclosed in the Japanese Patent No. 3422373.
There is also a known intake apparatus, in which a throttle body of a throttle valve device is disposed between the banks (a pair of banks) of a V-type internal combustion engine. The Japanese Laid-open Patent Document No. 2002-206460 discloses a V-type internal combustion engine of this type.
In a V-type internal combustion engine, an actuator for operating a throttle valve is disposed below a throttle body, and the throttle body is disposed above a pair of banks. In such a case, the position of the throttle valve device is raised so that the space occupied by the throttle valve device above a pair of banks is increased in a up-down direction. This enlarges the internal combustion engine in the up-down direction.
It is intended, therefore, to dispose the throttle body between the pair of banks in order to reduce size of the V-type internal combustion engine in the up-down direction. The intention needs to prevent the interference between a force-transmitting device for transmitting the drive force of the actuator to the throttle valve and cylinder heads and head covers constituting the banks.
Thus, the arrangement of the force-transmitting device may be restricted in the up-down direction or in a crank axial direction parallel to the rotational centerline of a crankshaft. Specifically, a portion of the cylinder heads and head covers that restricts the arrangement of the force-transmitting device is a protruding portion protruding toward a bank central plane bisecting the bank angle because a valve train force-transmitting device for driving a valve train system is provided on each of the banks.
Such a case does not sufficiently achieve compactification of the arrangement of the throttle valve device for the pair of banks. In other words, the compactification of the internal combustion engine is not sufficiently achieved in the up-down direction or in the crank axial direction.
The present invention has been made in view of such situations. Accordingly, it is one of the objects of the present invention, according to first through fourth aspects thereof, to reduce dimension (downsize) of a V-type internal combustion engine in an up-down direction or in a crank axial direction by devising arrangement of a force-transmitting device for transmitting drive force of an actuator to a throttle valve with respect to a pair of banks.
The present invention is also aimed at facilitating connection work of a fuel injection valve with a fuel supply pipe by preventing interruption of an actuator and a force-transmitting device and making the arrangement of a fuel supply pipe compact. The present invention also aimed at providing cooling arrangement for an electric motor as an actuator with outside air flowing toward an air inlet of an air inlet device.
There is another known a V-type internal combustion engine in which a fuel injection valve is disposed above an intake passage formed in an intake apparatus disposed between a pair of banks of the engine. An example of such known V-type internal combustion engine is disclosed in the Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 2007-92745.
An electric actuator for operating a throttle valve and an electric fuel injection valve are disposed a bank space between a pair of banks of a V-type internal combustion engine. The bank space defined between the pair of banks is a relatively narrow space. It is desirable to easily connect wiring harnesses with the actuator and with the fuel injection valves for transmitting control signal thereto and to shorten the wiring harnesses.
The present invention has also been made in view of such situations. Accordingly, it is one of the objects of the present invention, according to fifth through eighth aspects thereof, to facilitate connection of wiring harnesses with an electric actuator and an electric fuel injection valve disposed between a pair of banks in a V-type internal combustion engine equipped with a throttle valve device provided with a throttle valve drivingly opened and closed by the actuator.
It is also an object of the present invention to facilitate connection work between a fuel injection valve and a fuel supply pipe by preventing interference of an actuator and to make arrangement of the fuel supply pipe compact.